Winds push Riverside Fire to 112,000 acres; second day of extreme fire behavior

Fire perimeter as of 9/9/20 from infrared flight. Fire grows to 112,00 acres. Credit: Mt. Hood National Forest.

Completion: 0%
Acres: 112,000                                                                  
Start Date: September 8, 2020
Cause: Human                                                                
Location: 
2 miles SE of Estacada, OR      
Total Personnel: 100                                                      
Fuels/Topography: Timber, grass, rugged terrain

Today: Throughout the day, ground crews worked to protect critical infrastructure, homes, and property ahead of the rapidly expanding Riverside Fire. However, heavy smoke and low visibility prevented air tanker pilots from safety dropping retardant to slow fire growth. Eastern winds continued to push the fire down the Clackamas River corridor and west towards the community of Estacada, OR where a level 3 ‘Go Now’ evacuation order remains in place. As of 5:00pm the western edge of the fire is approximately two air miles from the northeast edge of the community. Additionally, the fire has spotted over Highway 211 in the local area. Firefighters will continue to work with law enforcement overnight to assist in critical life-safety evacuations and protection as needed. This fire remains an extremely fluid situation and more information will be shared as it becomes available.

“We’re working closely with the Clackamas Fire District, Sheriff’s Office, and many others to protect our communities,” said Richard Periman, Mt. Hood National Forest Supervisor. “Nothing matters more right now than human life as we stand together to face this unprecedented situation.”

Evacuations: Numerous evacuations are in place in and around the community of Estacada, OR. Please check with the Clackamas County Sherriff’s Office for real-time evacuation notifications.

Smoke: Sustained fire activity and easterly winds will contribute to continued “very unhealthy” to “hazardous” air conditions overnight. More information about smoke and your health is available at http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com.

Closures: The Mt. Hood National Forest is currently under a full Forest closure including all campgrounds, roads, trails, and other areas. Other road and areas closures will be updated as that information becomes available.

Fire Information:

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7174/

Tags: #RiversideFire #ClackamasWildfires

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All text in this news release was generated from Mt. Hood National Forest..